Peterson, on her way out, said, "I'll miss doing the job, but sometimes you have to make tough decisions and this was a very tough decision."

Current board President Mary Jo Burchart said she was sad to see Peterson step down.

"Her experience will be missed," said Burchart, adding "I can appreciate that changes in her life will be taking her out of Lake Orion and she needs to focus on those things."

Looking back, Peterson said one of her favorite aspects of serving on the board was attending graduation.

"Especially alternative ed. and adult ed. graduation," she said. "It's humbling to see what these young people accomplish to get a GED."

Peterson noted she was proud to be a part of a proactive board in decision-making instead of back-peddling.

"Where we are in our finances and everything has a lot to do with that proactive approach. We're ahead of the game from a lot of our neighboring districts and that's nice," she said.

Peterson said she didn't want to offer any parting advice for the board she's leaving behind except keep on keeping on.

"The board is a good, balanced board. Balance is always a good thing to have when you're voting on issues. And I think we have good leadership in the district," she said. She added, "I have a lot of respect for people on the board, and for as much as I'm sad to leave, I think they'll be fine without me."

As for her replacement, Peterson says she'd like to see someone with an interest in all aspects of education, not with just one or two items on his or her agenda.

"Someone that's open-minded and fair-thinking, someone who would just continue being able to go where we've gone and take it even further," would be a good fit, she said.

Peterson noted "public education is a moving target" and while she feels she's not leaving anything in particular incomplete, there's always ongoing work for the board.